


Loyal to a fault

by Jastra



Category: BioShock
Genre: Alternate Universe, Atlas is Real, Atlas' son, Drabble, M/M, Pre-War, Rapture (Bioshock)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-20
Updated: 2015-02-20
Packaged: 2018-03-13 23:46:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,319
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3400658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jastra/pseuds/Jastra
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Infinite possibilities.</p><p>Fontaine does not exist, but Atlas does with same personality along with his son Patrick. </p><p>The younger man is a friend to Ryan's illegitimate son, who thinks nothing can tear their friendship apart. With the rebellion just around the corner Patrick has to do some tough decisions how to protect his friend from his father.  Where will Jack and Patrick stand when Atlas starts the uprising against the Andrew Ryan?  Jack is 17.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Loyal to a fault

**Author's Note:**

> Something a bit different. This will most likely lead to Patrick/Jack along with Atlas/Jack.

Jack hurried towards Arcadia with a large wine bottle in his arms, passing through the docks that were filled with workers. The shift was ending and many men and women were on their way to their small and modest homes though many men also headed towards the local bars to enjoy a drink after a rough day of work. Despite their harsh and rude attitude,  Jack admired these men and women. They were what his father, Andrew Ryan though to be valuable workers and a foundation of Rapture. The worked hard and were entitled to the sweat of their brow and those with great gifts would rise through the ranks. Andrew had taught him that the Rapture was a place for free men who could earn their own fortunes with hard work and talent and Jack believed it all to work without any problems.

  
The young boy was wearing a horrible white wool sweater, trying to blend in with the working class but with poor results. Many workers gave him few confused looks, but most just eyed the wine bottle in his hands longingly.  
Jack watched with dreamy eyes as one of the submarines rose from the water, carrying supplies and other items to keep Rapture running. His head turned as he walked to see how the people came to unload the full ship, but then he suddenly hit something warm yet solid, falling onto his ass ungracefully.

"Watch where you are going, boyo…" A deep yet familiar voice grunted softly and Jack found himself looking up at Atlas…the best known working man in the city and his friend's father. The dark haired man eyed him despisingly and shook his head gently as Jack got onto his feet.

"You should be more careful, boyo….not many of us like your dad around here." The older man muttered threateningly as he leaned slightly downward so that Jack could feel his hot breath against his neck and side of his face.

"Would be a shame if something happened to his favorite slut's son.." He added with a smirk, glancing at the bottle in Jack's hand.

"Well well, what have we here." Atlas said and grabbed the expensive wine bottle. Jack tried to snatch it back but in vain; Atlas kept it from him easily and grabbed the back of the boy's neck to keep him still. 

"The best wine from Arcadia...you know boyo, I think my men would appreciate this more than a rich brat." Atlas said, pulling the struggling kid closer to him.

'Damn it, not again!' Jack thought. He had learned to avoid Patrick's dad but he always ran into the Irish man somehow. 

"It is a gift for someone!" Jack said angrily looking into Atlas' blue eyes with determined look in his eyes. 

  
"Is that right boyo? And to who might this be for? That freak Cohen and his friends?" Atlas asked but  Jack held his mouth. 

"That's none of your business..." he finally grunted quietly at Atlas, hating how all the people ignored them. Everyone knew Atlas and everyone in the docs supported him on some level. "I didn't take you for a thief." Jack added, trying to hold his ground.

The brown haired boy blinked in confusion when the older man leaned slightly downwards to whisper into his ear. 

"I'd love to pick that brain of yours one day, boyo...who knows what secrets it might hold inside." Atlas murmured to him in dangerously low tone before pushing Jack out of his way and thrusting the wine bottle to the kid; Jack almost dropped it to the ground. 

The young man pouted angrily and wanted to show a rude hand sign at the older man, but refrained himself from doing so, since it would only get him more trouble. He stayed there for a moment, looking at Atlas who met with a small group of men in front of the bar, starting to talk about something. On the walls was one of those propaganda posters that had popped around the docs lately, intended to rally the working people. It was a painted picture of Atlas.

Jack didn't fully understand the extent of the situation that was constantly getting larger and more dire.

  
Atlas' eyes met his once more and Jack felt a shiver run down his spine. The dark haired man cocked his head a bit and eyed him with evaluating look in his eyes. When the stare became too much for the young man to bear, he turned around and left the area, feeling how more people started staring him now that Atlas was. Still, he could feel Atlas' eyes on him.

The dark haired young man continued his way and greeted few workers whom with he had talked with at few occasions, letting them to work in peace as he approached the gardens. The younger Ryan paid his entrance fee dutifully and ran inside, looking for his friend there.

* * *

  
Among the shadows of a walkway, behind few bushes and wooden grating for wines, another young boy was resting against the wall. It was a spot with only few pass by-passers and well hidden from sight. The blond boy with white shirt and black pants with suspenders along with heavy boots fit for dock working looked extremely bored and searched his pocket for a cigarette he lighted with a match, taking a deep suck before exhaling the smoke out with a loud sigh. There was clearly great frustration in him.

"Patrick!" Jack greeted his friend when he made it to their hiding spot. Patrick's turned his head and forced a small smile onto his lips, waving lazily at the younger.

"Took you long enough, Jack. I thought you didn't want to see me anymore." Patrick chuckled and watched as Jack sat down next to him on a wooden crate. This was their special hiding place away from the judging eyes of their fathers, Andrew and Atlas, who didn't look kindly upon their friendship.

  
Patrick, who was few years older, offered his cigarette to Jack, watching with satisfaction as the 2 year younger boy took it and sucked the head slightly before exhaling the smoke, only to starting cough a bit loudly. He clearly was still not used to smoking.  
Jack felt his eyes water slightly but he tried to man up. His father always smoked cigars and majority of the people in Rapture liked to smoke. However, because Rapture was Rapture, the smokes cost a lot; at least the higher quality one. Majority of workers smoked cheap brands that were absolutely horrible, but did the job.

 

"Tsk...you still suck at this." Patrick muttered as Jack gave the cigarette back to him. He placed it onto his lips once more and after a moment he exhaled the smoke out once more, enjoying how it calmed his nerves after a long day at work.

"Did you steal those from your dad?" Jack asked in teasing tone, eyes slightly lid, he had seen Atlas smoking in the dock's many times.

"Maybe." Patrick said with a smirk, despite knowing that his father hated it when he stole his cigarettes and shared them with Jack. He wanted to add _'Does that make me a parasite?'_ but he resisted the urge to do, knowing that he shouldn't lash at his friend. Jack wasn't Andrew Ryan and there was only one rule between the two; they didn't talk about politics. It was poison in Rapture.

  
Patrick rested the back of his head against the wooden wall and sighed, glancing at Jack who was trying to open the wine bottle. They always sneaked in here to enjoy a free evening or afternoon and while he didn't ask for it, Jack often brought food and drink that a common working joe could only dream about. 

  
The young man worked with his father at the docs while Jack worked his ass off under his own father, Andrew Ryan, who made sure his illegitimate son would learn the right things he needed to know in life. Jasmine Jolene had died shortly after Jack's birth and many suspected Ryan himself, but it was all rumors.

  
Even though Jack was illegitimate, Ryan made sure that he had a tight hold of Jack who turned out to be a bright young man who resembled Andrew in many ways, but also Jolene.  
Patrick threw the end of his cigarette into a small pot of water and adjusted his suspenders slightly, glancing at Jack who still having trouble with the wine bottle. The brown haired boy was almost a head shorter than him and thinner. The years of working at the docks from the young age had given Patrick a well defined body.

"Why do you wear that hideous sweater, Jack?" He muttered and grabbed the wine bottle from his friend, studying it before shaking his head gently. It was one of the finest wines in Rapture...not that awful booze the dock workers drank after a hard day of work.

"Well I can't wear a suit in the docs..." Jack replied with a frown. "what would your dad think?" He continued. Jack couldn't help it when his mind traveled to Atlas. Patrick's dad was stern and looked up to among the workers with dislike for Andrew Ryan. Unlike Patrick he had dark hair and rougher look.

"Idiot.." Patrick mumbled as he opened the bottle. "Even the most stupid worker can see that your sweater is design work..if you think you can blend in, you are being stupid Jack." Patrick sighed and sipped the wine straight from the bottle before offering it to Jack who took a small sip, savoring it.

  
Patrick couldn't help but smirk when his younger friend pouted angrily, looking down at his sweater with embarrassed expression.  
The two were from different classes and while they teased each other, they were good friends..  
Jack had gotten in trouble once while exploring the docs one night. Those who didn't like Andrew Ryan had approached him with ill intentions, but Patrick had sent them away with a tail between their legs after few punches and kicks.  
The older boy found Jack to be quite innocent for his age and while he wasn't exactly sheltered by Ryan and could do what he wished, he still had trouble understanding the life of a lower class worker in Rapture. Ryan had instilled his ideology in the boy deep and Jack believed it all to be good.

  
Ryan's son had friends from the richer families but for some reason he always found his way to Patrick who kept sneaking into Arcadia without paying the entrance fee.  
Jack took a sip from the bottle when Patrick offered it to him and savored the taste, his mind traveling back to Atlas. Patrick's dad was so interesting even though he seemed to hate Jack's guts. The rough look and dark hair made Jack feel butterflies in his stomach for some odd reason and the times when the older man addressed him were few and ended always too shortly for his taste.

"I saw your dad at the docks." Jack suddenly said as Patrick took another long sip, glancing at his friend with raised brow

"So? He was probably on his way to the bar anyway…." The blond grunted, knowing it to be true from Jack's expression. He sighed loudly "Did he give you trouble again?" he asked but Jack shook his head, not wanting Patrick to know about it.  
The blond boy's eyes narrowed slightly when he saw a small healthy blush appear on Jack's cheeks. What was frustrating to him was that he couldn't tell if it was because of the wine or something else.

"He always works so hard…my father appreciates people like that and.." Jack started but Patrick scoffed angrily thrusting the bottle to Jack again.

"Hard work gets you only so far in Rapture. No…you need fame, money and luck to become someone here." The older boy muttered angrily, knowing how the poorer working force suffered at times….but soon no longer.

"Father says always that the man is entitled.." jack insisted but was cut off by Patrick who grabbed his chin roughly and leaned down so that he was on an eye level with the smaller boy

"Jack, no politics…I thought we established that. That's the one thing we do not talk about…you know why…" Patrick said, making Jack to look into his blue eyes

"Understand?" He asked, this time more gently.  
jack's expression changed from angry to sad and finally to calm one before nodding.

"Yeah sorry Patrick.." The younger man replied softly, understanding why his friend didn't want to talk about it.  
With a sigh Atlas' son pulled out another cigarette from his pocket and lighted it,

"We are friends right?" Jack asked unsurely. For some reason Patrick had been more easily agitated recently and even Atlas had changed…the atmosphere felt heavy and pressed. Something was up but Jack didn't know what.  
Patrick smiled at him and ruffled the younger boy's hair

"Yeah we are, sorry, the days have just been hard." He muttered, feeling warm and good inside when Jack gave him an innocent and happy grin..the boy was like a puppy. Loyal to a fault.

"Jack, you do know that I would never want anyone hurt you or do it myself, right?" Patrick asked, feeling a sting of quilt inside him when his friend nodded.

"I'm not going to let Andrew or your dad tear us apart." He laughed, and Patrick let out a forced and sad chuckle.

"Heh…yeah..we'll stick together." Patrick confirmed before staring at the wooden grating that hid them.

 _'But unfortunately I have to do it.'_ the blond thought, glancing at his friend who was now focused on telling him about what he had seen in the docs.

_'I'll take care of you."_


End file.
